{{Short description|American songwriter and musician}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2015}} {{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians --> | name = Jana Hunter | image = Jana_Hunter.jpg | caption = | image_size = | background = solo_singer | origin = Houston, Texas, United States | instrument = | genre = Lo-fi, experimental | occupation = | years_active = | label = Gnomonsong, Ribbon Music | associated_acts = Lower Dens | website = }}
'''Jana Hunter''' is an American songwriter and musician based in Baltimore.
== Early life == Hunter was born in Texas. His family is Catholic, but he no longer follows Catholicism.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://imposemagazine.com/bytes/jana-hunter-on-pride |title=Jana Hunter on Pride |date=July 2, 2014 |publisher=Impose Magazine |accessdate=2023-01-12}}</ref>
== Recording and band membership == Hunter was signed to Gnomonsong, a record label run by Devendra Banhart and Vetiver's Andy Cabic. Hunter's solo debut album ''Blank Unstaring Heirs of Doom'' was the label's debut release. In 2007 Hunter founded an independent record label based in Houston, Texas, Feow! Records, with musicians Matthew Brownlie of Bring Back the Guns and Arthur Bates of Houston band Wicked Poseur.<ref>[http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Blogs/Music/?oid=523991 Jana Hunter: 'Feow!']</ref>
Hunter was the singer and primary songwriter for Lower Dens.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Hockley-Smith|first=Sam|date=February 1, 2012|title=Lower dens: building a better world.|journal=The Fader|url=http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-283489515.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140610052359/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-283489515.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 10, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last=Breihan|first=Tom|date=May 14, 2010|title=New Release: Lower Dens: Twin-Hand Movement|journal=Pitchfork|url=http://pitchfork.com/news/38800-new-release-lower-dens-twin-hand-movement/}}</ref><ref name="Goobye/Hello">{{Cite web|date=2021-12-08|title=Goobye/Hello|url=https://rx-ointment.ghost.io/goodbye-hello/|access-date=2022-01-24|website=Rx Ointment|language=en}}</ref> After releasing their debut, ''Twin-Hand Movement'', on Gnomonsong in 2010, Lower Dens were one of the first bands signed to the Ribbon Music label and released their second album, ''Nootropics'', on Ribbon in 2012.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Patel|first=Puja|date=May 1, 2012|title=Lower Dens, 'Nootropics' (Ribbon Music)|journal=Spin|url=http://www.spin.com/reviews/lower-dens-nootropics-ribbon-music/}}</ref>
Hunter has performed and/or recorded as a member of Jracula, Castanets, Matty & Mossy, Ejaculette, Unitus, and Krazy Nerds, and played in/recorded for Sharon Van Etten, Trentemøller, Food Pyramid, Airwaves, Indian Jewelry, Matteah Baim, Metallic Falcons, Phosphorescent, and CocoRosie.
Hunter is the inspiration for several characters in the stories of J.M. Appel, including providing the basis for Maggie in the novella ''Fallout'' (2010).<ref>Appel, JM. Fallout. Afterword, 2010</ref>
==Touring== Hunter has toured with Tara Jane O'Neil, Devendra Banhart, Rasputina, Viking Moses, Castanets, Deer Tick, Marissa Nadler, Peter & the Wolf, Cass McCombs, and Woozyhelmet, among others. In 2005, Hunter accompanied Meadows, Lights, and Mouth of Leaves on their Summer of Golden Blood tour throughout the South. In 2006, Hunter performed at North East Sticks Together.
Hunter has appeared at Mad Vicky's Tea House in Brooklyn, New York, owned by "Mad Vicky", Bianca Casady of the musical duo CocoRosie.
In 2019, Hunter created a special playlist for ''Billboard''{{'s}} Summer of Pride event. The playlist, which can be found on Spotify, includes songs by various artists, including The Smiths and Stevie Wonder. Hunter said in the corresponding interview that these songs had both helped and inspired him whilst growing up:<ref name=":1" />
{{blockquote|I was wild and in a lot of pain as a kid; home life was very bleak, and pop songs were a guaranteed escape to a mental space where beauty, wonder, and love were possible. I wanted to write songs that might have the potential to do that.<ref name=":1" />}}
==Matty and Mossy== Hunter founded and played in the Houston band Matty & Mossy with Heath Flagtvedt, Matt Frey and John Hunter. Their album, ''Fraimers Haimey'', was recorded in Athens, Georgia with Chris Bishop and released on Fleece Records. The album reached #1 on the radio charts of Rice Radio and KSPC, and songs from the album were used in the soundtrack of Andrew Bujalski's films ''Funny Ha Ha'' and ''Mutual Appreciation''.
== Personal life == Hunter was assigned female at birth.<ref name=":0" /> In 2014, Hunter came out as gender fluid (or non-binary),<ref name="ON PRIDE and gender">{{Cite web|url=http://lowerdens.tumblr.com/post/90448691182/on-pride-and-gender|title=ON PRIDE (and gender)}}</ref> as well as being neither gay nor straight, stating that he "feel[s] extremely fortunate in that I truly don’t give a fuck when it comes to the gender of the person I’m dating".<ref name="ON PRIDE and gender"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/music/a38918/jana-hunter-lower-dens-essay|title=What It's Like to be a Female Musician when You Don't Identify as a Woman|date=2015-04-10}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal|last1=Grimm|first1=Beca|date=March 31, 2015|title=Lower Dens' Jana Hunter Makes an Escape Worth Celebrating|url=http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/2015/03/jana_hunter_lower_dens_interview.php|journal=The Village Voice|access-date=May 10, 2015|archive-date=May 3, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150503113757/http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/2015/03/jana_hunter_lower_dens_interview.php|url-status=dead}}</ref> He also identifies as transmasculine.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |last1=Curran |first1=Caitlin |title=Jana Hunter: 'I spent most of my life hiding from myself' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2019/sep/23/jana-hunter-the-competition-interview |website=The Guardian |access-date=9 June 2022 |date=23 September 2019}}</ref>
In August 2019, an article by Billboard.com stated that Hunter preferred ''he/him'' pronouns.<ref name=":1">{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/pride/8527644/listen-trans-artist-lower-dens-jana-hunter-summer-of-pride-playlist-interview|title=Listen to Trans Singer-Songwriter Jana Hunter of Lower Dens' Summer of Pride Mix: 'There Is a Place Here, Even For You'|last=|first=|date=|magazine=Billboard}}</ref> In an interview for the same magazine a month later, Hunter discussed his experience undergoing hormone replacement therapy, disclosing he had undergone top surgery and discussing the difficulties of testosterone lowering both his speaking and singing voice.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/pride/8529210/lower-dens-jana-hunter-the-competition-interview|title=Why Lower Dens' Jana Hunter Is Both 'Terrified' and 'More Comfortable' Since Transitioning |last=Norris|first=John| date=September 5, 2019|magazine=Billboard}}</ref>
In 2021, Hunter revealed he had been diagnosed as having autism and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.<ref name="Goobye/Hello"/>
==Discography==
===Albums=== * ''The Competition'' (with Lower Dens) (Ribbon Music) September 5, 2019 * ''Escape from Evil'' (with Lower Dens) (Ribbon Music) March 31, 2015 * ''Nootropics'' (with Lower Dens) (Ribbon Music) May 1, 2012 * ''Twin-Hand Movement'' (with Lower Dens) (Gnomonsong) July 20, 2010 *''Carrion EP'' CD (Gnomonsong) September 18, 2007 *''Carrion EP'' LP (Woodsist) September 2007 *''There's No Home'' CD/LP (Gnomonsong) April 7, 2007 *''Blank Unstaring Heirs of Doom'' CD (Gnomonsong) October 4, 2005<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/4026-blank-unstaring-heirs-of-doom/|title=Jana Hunter: Blank Unstaring Heirs of Doom|website=Pitchfork}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/2638 | title=Dusted Reviews: Jana Hunter - Blank Unstaring Heirs of Doom }}</ref> *''Jana Hunter / Devendra Banhart'' LP (split with Devendra Banhart) (Troubleman Unlimited) 2005 * ''JH'' CD-R (self-released) 2004 * ''JH'' CD-R (self-released) 2003
===Compilation appearances=== *''The Enlightened Family'' CD (Voodoo-EROS), 2005 *''The Black and White Skins'' CD (Les Disques du Crépuscule), 2005 *''The Golden Apples of the Sun'' CD (Bastet), 2004
==External links== *[http://www.lowerdens.com Lower Dens site]
==References== {{reflist|30em}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hunter, Jana}} Category:Year of birth missing (living people) Category:New Weird America Category:Living people Category:Singers from Texas Category:Musicians from Houston Category:American non-binary musicians Category:American LGBTQ songwriters Category:American transgender singers Category:Transgender songwriters Category:Non-binary singers Category:Non-binary songwriters Category:LGBTQ people from Texas Category:Transgender non-binary people Category:Autistic musicians Category:People with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder Category:American musicians with disabilities Category:Genderfluid writers Category:Autistic LGBTQ people Category:American autistic people Category:Transgender people with disabilities